2022 Nissan Rogue vs 2023 Cadillac XT5

The 2022 Nissan Rogue, a staple in Nissan's lineup since 2007, continued to impress with its mature and sophisticated design. The exterior featured a V-motion grille, multi-level LED headlights, and a sleek floating roof. Inside, the Rogue boasted a layered dash with contrasting colors and surfaces, an electronic gear selector lever, and ample storage space. The Zero Gravity bucket-style front seats and roomy second row added to its appeal, making it a comfortable and stylish choice.

In contrast, the 2023 Cadillac XT5 aimed to deliver affordable luxury but fell short in some areas. The cabin, while spacious and intuitively laid out, featured materials that seemed more fitting for a Buick or top-trim Chevy. Despite this, the XT5 offered good headroom and legroom, a panoramic sunroof, and a generous cargo space of 30 cubic feet behind the second-row seats. The interior design, however, lacked the refinement and uniqueness expected from a luxury brand like Cadillac.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue received a significant boost in performance with its new 1.5-liter VC-Turbo engine, producing 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. This engine, combined with a new CVT, delivered a lively driving experience and impressive fuel economy of 30 mpg city/37 mpg highway/33 mpg combined. The Rogue's chassis and suspension provided a smooth, controlled ride with minimal body roll, and the electric power-assisted steering offered good feel and a tight turning diameter of 35.4 feet.

The 2023 Cadillac XT5 came with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. While the base powertrain offered decent acceleration, the available V6 engine with 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque provided a more suitable performance. However, the XT5 lacked driving excitement and suffered from ride quality issues on broken pavement. The fuel economy ranged from 22 mpg city/29 mpg highway/24 mpg combined for the turbo-four FWD to 18/25/21 mpg for the V6 AWD.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue excelled in interior space and storage options. The front cabin featured numerous storage compartments, including bottle holders, cupholders, a glove compartment, and a center console bin. Rear-seat passengers had access to storage in the doors, seatbacks, and center armrest, along with USB-A and USB-C charge-only ports. The Rogue offered 31.6-36.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 74.1 cubic feet with the seats folded flat.

The 2023 Cadillac XT5, despite its use of hard plastics and cheaper materials, provided useful storage spaces, including a deep center console bin and large seatback pockets. The cargo area offered 30 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 63 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The wide liftgate opening and low load floor made accessing the cargo area easy, but the overall storage space was less generous compared to the Rogue.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue featured a technology upgrade with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 9-inch center infotainment touchscreen, and a 10.8-inch head-up display on upper trims. Standard features included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with wireless Apple CarPlay available on higher trims. ProPilot Assist, Nissan's hands-on driver-assist technology, was available and integrated with the navigation system for predictive speed control.

The 2023 Cadillac XT5 came with the CUE infotainment system, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and dual-zone climate controls. The system could be controlled via a rotary controller, voice commands, or the touchscreen. Cadillac retained physical buttons for climate and steering wheel controls, offering a more intuitive experience. The XT5 also included a Bose premium audio system, wireless charging, and navigation.

The 2022 Nissan Rogue came equipped with the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite, including automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, high beam assist, and rear automatic braking. ProPilot Assist provided advanced driver-assist features, and the Rogue received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS for the 2021 model.

The 2023 Cadillac XT5 offered standard safety features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, front and rear parking sensors, lane-keep assist, and a vibrating safety alert seat. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and automatic parking assist. The 2021 XT5 received top "Good" scores in crash tests from the IIHS but missed a Top Safety Pick award due to "Marginal" headlight ratings.